Hurricane! SSBB Version
by Pinkie Diane and Surprise Pie
Summary: As the first warning gust tug at his boat, Toon steers it into a small, shortcut canal. But the tide is running out; his boat is stranded! Then, lightning, rain, and the screaming winds of the hurricane are on him. Toon is trapped in the raging storm. With no shelter, and without help, how can he possibly survive? Rated T cause I'm scared. Staring Toon Link, Pikachu, and Squirtle


**_Storm Warning_**

Painting the front porch was not Toon's idea of a good way to spend his Saturday morning. He slid the paint bucket to one side and looked back at his progress. At least half of it was finished, but he still had the turned posts to do. That was going to take him forever. Inside the house the phone began to ring, and he wondered if it could be Lucas calling to see if he could come into town for the ball game. Toon made a face. How had he ever been so dumb as to suggest painting the porch? Admittedly it had been his own idea. His father, Link, had been busy studying to pass his exam for his towboat pilot's license, and Toon had felt he should help him out. He pulled the bucket farther forward as his mother, Tetra, opened the front door.

"What's wet?" she asked.

"Nothing down there yet. Who was on the phone? Was it Lucas?"

Mother walked down the steps, and for a moment she stood silently staring into the sky. Then she said, "No, it was Mr. Koopa at the cannery."

Toon waved his brush excitedly. "Does he have our check made out for last week's catch?" Toon always looked forward to receiving his share of the money.

"Yes, it's there, and I'll pick it up later." She turned around and looked the other way. "He was also concerned about the weather."

Toon tugged the bucket up another few inches, then squinted at the world through the porch posts. "You mean here? Our weather?" He went down the steps to stand beside her in the grass. "What's up?"

Mother looked at the horizon thoughtfully. "That tropical depression offshore has suddenly built up to a full storm. It's predicted to pass us offshore, but a hurricane watch has been posted for our area. That means we must watch its movements very closely."

Toon sucked in his breath. "A hurricane!"

Mother nodded. "Mr. Koopa knows Father is on Windfall Island taking his exam, and he thought we might have not been listening, which we haven't been. But the barometer has been quite high, and it's been so lovely the past few days that it seemed a little unnecessary."

Toon looked across the yard and to their dock. Father's crab boat was tied up there along with a pile of traps he was going to repair when he got home. In any bad-weather front, Father always took in the pots in order to save his catch of crabs as well as to prevent the traps from being dragged in the high water and waves and lost. Toon looked beyond the dock at the endless maze of islands that stretched before him as far as he could see. He had lived in the low-country tidelands of the South New Hyrule salt marsh for all his twelve years, and it was familiar a place to him as the yard in which he stood.

"I suppose Mr. Koopa thought we should take in the traps." he said finally.

"Yes, he believed it would be best. He said there is a low-pressure system building inland, and that's worrisome. you know how flighty a hurricane can be in the changing direction it takes."

"Nearly all of the storms miss us entirely." Toon said carefully.

Mother nodded. "That's true, but we can't risk not being prepared for the worst. But if I call Father, he's probably gonna drop everything and rush home, and it might not be necessary at all."

"If he did come, it could mean he wouldn't get his license!"

Mother pounded her fist on the porch rail. "Exactly!" She turned to look at Toon. "I told Mr. Koopa I didn't want to bother Father on Windfall Island. I told him we knew what to do and would take care of everything and thanked him for calling."

Toon relaxed. "At least that's settled." Yet he knew the storm could change its course unexpectedly and come straight for them. "Well, it looks great right now," he said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, doesn't it?" Mother agreed. "It's nearly as nice as yesterday."

Toon nodded and stared at the cloudless sky. It was a pale, whitish blue, and he wondered if perhaps there weren't some very high clouds to give it that color. Yet the only inkling of any advancing weather, that he could see, might be the filmy halo around the sun. But the best of weather could precede the actual storm. And rain. They would doubtless get lots of rain. "I think I should start taking in the traps while its still nice out," he said.

Mother sighed. "Yes, that's the first thing; we definitely can't afford to lose any of them. At the moment, fishing blue crabs is our bread and butter." She started back up the steps; then hesitated and looked at Toon's half-completed work. "Why does everything have to happen at once? It would have been nice to get this painting finished. If I have time, I'll do it. But there's a million other things I gotta do first."

"Father's tools have to be moved off the back porch," Toon said. "If it rains, that roof leaks like a sieve."

Mother chewed at her lip. "And there's all the loose junk in the yard that has to be put in the garage. Thank Nayru the storm shutters are in good shape in case we need them. You'll have to work hard pulling the pots and bringing them home."

"Oh, that's not work! You know I do it alone when Father works part-time on the mill towboat. And I won't have to hurry; I can take my time. Since it's only a hurricane watch, I probably still have a few more hours of nice weather. Besides I really would rather pull pots than anything!"

Mother cocked her head and laughed. "I know! For you, it's paradise compared to painting the porch!"

Toon grinned, turned in a leap, and bolted for the garage. "Yippee!" Storm or not, his Saturday was going to turn out all right after all. He pulled open the double doors. "Come on, Squirtle!"

The small blue water-type Pokemon that had been locked in inside danced out with a rush, ran twice around him at full speed, and then dashed for the house.

"Keep him off the porch!" Mother shrieked. "The paint!"

"Squirtle! Come back!" Toon shouted. He ran, caught Squirtle around the middle, and pulled him back down the steps. "Come on! We're going in the boat!"

Those were Squirtle's magic words. He ran across the grass, over the wooden plank gangway, and down their dock. It was a long jump into the boat tied there, but Squirtle made it in one easy leap. Then he scampered from thwart to thwart, bow to stern, and back again, rattling oars and barrels and tangling himself in the lines and buoys.

"Silly Pokemon." Toon said affectionately, as he found the extra gas can in the garage. Next he jumped into the boat and methodically began to toss everything in it out onto the dock.

Suddenly there was a splash behind him. Toon looked up. Squirtle had leaped over the rail and into the water. Quickly he swam once around the boat, came back, put one paw and his face on the gunwale, and looked inside with a wet, happy face. "No, you can't get back it; I'm busy." Toon told him, as he threw a crab pot to the dock. Instantly Squirtle turned, swimming in and out through the pilings of the pier and up to their shell beach. He climbed out of the water and spotted Mother coming across the grass. Squirtle bolted strait for her, skidded to a stop, and shook himself thoroughly.

Mother gasped. But Squirtle was off again at a run. He bounded down the dock and jumped back into the skiff beside Toon, getting him wet and setting the boat to rocking as if it were in a heavy sea.

"Honestly," Mother complained, as she brushed at her wet shorts, "lock up that animal for five minutes, and he acts like a fizzing time bomb. Here. I packed you a lunch; it's almost that time, and I know you'll be hungry."

Toon peeked into the picnic basket she had placed on the dock. "Chocolate cake!" Now he was more anxious than ever to be off. He turned on the fuel, pulled out the choke, and started up the eighteen-horsepower motor on the first attempt. For a moment he was enveloped on the whitish smoke bubbling from the exhaust and the familiar smell of oily gasoline.

"You take care now," Mother told him, "and I'll expect you back home by dinner. You're probably right about this beautiful weather lasting a while longer. You should have plenty of time to take in the traps and get home before the rain starts."

"Sure thing," Toon answered. He put the engine into gear and idled into the channel. Squirtle was in the bow. He stood with his feet on the very stem and looked alertly ahead as if he were captain of his own ship. Toon knew he was completely content. Squirtle loved boat rides nearly as much as swimming or Pokemon Battles.

"See you later!" he shouted to Mother on the dock. She smiled and waved. Squirtle turned to face Toon. "Squirt Squirtle!" That was Toon's signal. He throttled up, and the boat picked up speed, leaving Mother and the dock behind.

* * *

**Honestly. I think I spoil you guys sometimes. Any who, thanks for reading this awesome story. Next chapter will be about pulling in the pots and the first signs of the storm.**

**Toon: Don't forget to Rate and Review!**

**Squirtle: Squirt Squirt Squirtle!****  
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